Lift-centering mechanism for heel-building machines.



J. E. MITCHELL.

LIFT CENTERING MECHANISM FOR HE'EL'BUILDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION m n JULY 22.1915.

I 1 ,217,201 Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I INVENTOR;

A TT'Y.

J. E. MITCHELL. LIFT CENTERING MECHANISM ron HEEL BUILDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. l9l 5.

1,217,201. Patented Feb. 27,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 2 7 1 26' ig Z 39 lg! 57 I Z 2Q; INVENTOR:

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' wxm ATT'Y.

'IT'E'D STATES PATE- onion.

JOHN E. MITCHELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LIFT-GENTERING MECHANISM FOR HEEL-BUILDING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2'7, 1917.

Application filed July 22, 1915. SerialNo. 41,215.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. MrroHnnL, a citizen of the United States, resldmg 1n the city of St. Louis and State of. Missouri,

chine forming the subject-matter of Let-- ters-Patent, granted to John E. Mitchell and Dennis Parks, October 19, 1915, No. 1,157,409.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for centering or positioning the cut lifts in the holder. In the machine forming the subject-matter of the patent above referred to, this object is attained by means of pivoted arms provided with contact heads, two of said arms being located at either side of the holder, and one at the rear, and means are provided for actuating these arms from the machine, so that they will by impact with the lifts deposited in the holder cause them to be forced to the proper position therein. This was particularly true of the arm operating through the rear side of the holder, which was provided with a hammer head, and in practice was driven by a spring with considerable force against the rear or curved side of the lift to drive it to the correct position. Such an arrangement, as a rule, yielded quite satisfactory results in operation, but it frequently occurred, nevertheless, that the lift last deposited would be so securely cemented to the preceding lift that it would not always be correctly positioned in the holder by the hammer arms. greater objection to this prior arrangement, however, resides in the fact that the impact of the hammer arms with the heel-blank often loosens and displaces one or more previously deposited lifts, resulting in the formation of an imperfectly-shaped heel-blank. To overcome these objections I conceived the idea embodied in the present invention of providing means for centering or positioning the lifts coincident with their deposition in the holder, thereby insuring that each lift shall be initially deposited in the holder in the position it is to occupy in the heel-blank, thus avoiding the necessity of any subsequent movement of the lift, with the stated liability to disarrange lifts which have previously been deposited and positioned. v p p With the above general object in view, my

invention comprises, in its preferred embodiment, yielding centering devices normally lying in the path of the deposited lifts, and at least two of which devices are connected to move in unison so that as each lift isidepositedit is simultaneously forced between the yielding centering devices, one of which will force it against the breast of the holder and the other two of which will insure its assuming a central position in the holder.

7 A further important feature of the invention is the provision of novel means for separating the two lateral centering devices to enable the first or largest lift of the heelblank to be deposited after a preceding heelblank has been completed by depositing in the holder the smallest lift. To this end I provide means for automatically opening the two lateral centering devices slightly before the die carrying the first or large lift comes to rest over the holder in a position to have its lift deposited. As the turret is further revolved after the large lift is deposited,-the lateral centering arms are automatically released and drawn into engagement with the large lift, the engaging heads of the ends of the Y centering arms being shaped to project over each lift a sufficient distance to permit them to be engaged by the next smaller lift deposited.

The above will suffice to indicate the gen eral objects and the operation of the invention. A more precise understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, in which latterv Figure 1 is a plan view of. a portion of a heel-building machine having my improved centering mechanism applied thereto; a part of the turret being broken away, and the ejector-rod being shown in sectional plan; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the portion of the machine shown in 1;

Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2, but

viewed from the opposite side of the machme, one of the centering arms being -broken away to better illustrate the construction;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the centering mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation illustrating the position of the lateral centering arms with reference to a lift being deposited from a die.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates, generally, the turret of a heel-building machine of the type described and illustrated in the patent above named, and which turret comprises a series of radial supports 2 in each of which is mounted a die 3. The numeral 4 indicates the breast-plate and 5 the back-plate of a holder of indefinite length for receiving the lifts ejected from the respective dies 3. The numeral 6 indicates a hammer mounted on a rod 7, which rod is actuated at appropriate intervals by the machine to throw the hammer 6 into contact with the plunger 8 in each die in succession to eject the cut lift therefrom and force it into the holder. These parts are all fully described in the patent above-named, and need not be more particularly referred to herein. The numeral 9 indicates a support projecting from the rear of the machine and affording a cylindrical bearing 10 for the hammer rod 7. Mounted on the front of the bearing 10 is a bracket 11, and secured on this bracket is a bearing plate 12 which provides two outwardly-curved arms 13 in the outer end of each of which is secured a pivot post 1%. The numerals 15 and 16 indicate, respectively, the curved and straight arms of two bell crank levers, which arms are provided at their junctions with verticallydisposed cylindrical bearings 17, which bearings are journaled on the respective posts 14: and secured thereon by means of nuts 18. The inner end of each of the straight arms 16 is shaped to provide a segment gear 19, said segment-gears being in mesh with each other, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The inner end of each of the curved arms 15 is provided with a contact-head 20, each of said heads being oppositely-inclined on its upper and lower sides, as indicated at 21 for the upper side and 22 for the lower side. The numeral 23 indicates a yoke-lever which spans the support 9, and the legs 24: of which are pivotally mounted at their lower ends, as indicated at 25, on opposite sides of the back-plate 5 or to any other convenient portion of the frame of the machine. Centrally of its length the yokelever 23 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting head 26 which is adapted to work through a slot 27 provided in the upper edge portion of the back-plate 5, and is pro- 1' vided at its outer side with an inclined face curvednose 29, the curved face of which normally lies in the path of the back or rounded side of the dies 3. are connected at one end to the support 9 and at their other end to the legs 24, and tend normally to draw the yoke-lever 23 inward so that its head 26 will project through the slot 27 and be held in the path of the dies, as above mentioned.

From the construction as thus far described, it will be seen that as either arm 15 is moved the other arm 15 will be simultaneously moved, and to the same extent. The heads 20 on the arms 15 are normally drawn inward and toward each other through the openings at opposite sides of the holder, afforded by the space between the plates 4. and 5, through the medium of a coil spring 31 which is connected at opposite ends to the respective arms 15. Normally the heads 20 are in a position to have their upper inclined sides 21 engaged by a lift 32 (Fig. 5) as the latter is ejected from a die 3. It will thus be seen that as the lift is forced down into the holder the heads 20 will be forced apart, moving simultaneously and equally against the resistance of the spring 31, and as the lift passes the central portion of the heads the inclined under sides thereof will engage the upper edge portion of the lift, the heads again being drawn slightly inward by the spring 31. As the next lift is deposited it will enter between the heads and force them apart in the same manner as before and passing beyond the central portion of the head will force the precedinglift downward and itself be engaged on opposite sides at its upper edge by the inclined under side of the heads 20. Such operation will insure that each lift shall be centered or correctly positioned with respect to the preceding lift so far as sidewise displacement is concerned. Thus, should the lift tend to move to one side or the. other with respect to the center of the preceding lift, such movement will be resisted by the pressure of the head 20 at that side caused by the spring 31, and as this head is moved outward by the lift, the opposite head must likewise be moved to the same extent, thereby removing its pressure on the lift, so that, following the path of least resistance, the lift will immediately tend to move laterally in the opposite direction to that which it first took. Furthermore, as the lift passes the center of the heads 20, the incline on the bottom of either head, engaging the upper edge of the lift, tends to counteract any slight displacement of the lift in the direc tion of such head by forcing it into contact Coil springs 30 with the incline on the bottom of the other head. As a net result of the above actions, each lift is correctly centered coincident with its deposit upon a preceding lift, so that it does not have to be moved after the cementing engagement with the other lift occurs. v

The function of the head 26 is to force the breast or straight side of the lift against the breast-plate 4 as the lift is deposited in the holder. This result is effected by the engagement of the back or rounded edge of the lift with the inclined face 28 of said head, which, as will be clearly understood by an'inspection of Fig. 2, will cause the lift 32 to be forced toward said breast-plate as it passes out of the die. This action is caused in part also by the pressure exerted by the head 26 onthe lift caused by the tension of the springs 30. As each larger lift passes below the lower edge of the head 26 and of the heads 20 the respective springs 30, 31, will draw said heads into engagement with the edges of the next smaller lift deposited.

The function of the nose 29 is to prevent the dies 3 from striking the side of said head, which would, of course, prevent movement of the turret and perhaps break or distort parts of the machine. By an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be seen that the nose 29 is located at the top of the head 26 and directly in the path of the rear side of the die, so that before the die comes into position over the holder it engages thisnose and moves the head 26 outof the holder until the inclined edge 28 is carried slightly beyond the path of movement of the die. In such position, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower portion of the inclined edge 28 will project over the die in a position to be engaged by the rear edge of the lift as it is discharged from the die.

While for the purpose of clearness of description I have described the operation of the centering heads 20 apart from the operation of the head 26, it will be understood that the lift engages all three of said heads simultaneously and is thus correctly positioned as to displacement in all directions coincident with being deposited in the holder.

From an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be apparent that if the die 3, there shown having a lift ejected therefrom, were' the smallest die of a series, the next die to come into position would contain the largest lift used in building the heel-blank, and unless some means were provided for separating the heads 20 before said lift should be ejected from the die it would be deposited on top of the heads 20 and would not pass between them. To insure the automatic operation of the heads 20 at such times, I secure on the bearing 17 of one of the arms 15 on the farther side of the holder, that is, the, slde from which the die recedes in the movement of the turret, an arm 33 having at its outer end a vertically-disposed post 3 1 on which is journaled an anti-friction roller :35. 11 also mount on the end of the support 2 contained in the smallest die of a series a curved shoe 36. The arm 33 is firmly secured on the bearing 17 of the arm 15 as by means of a split sleeve 37 and its outer end is thus nor mally drawn inward and into the path of the shoe 36 by means of the spring 31. The support 2, shown broken away in Fig. 1, would contain the largest die of the series; and it will be seen from an inspection of this figure that before said die, which is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, comes into position over the holder the shoe 36 willengage the roller 35 and move the arm 33 outward, thereby separating the arms 15 and heads 20. The relative adjustment of the shoe 36 and roller 35 is such that the arms 15 will be separated the exact distance necessary to permit the heads 20 to be engaged by the large lift as it is deposited in the holder. The head 26 will be withdrawn the appropriate distance to accommodate the large lift by the engagement of the side of the large die with the nose 29 in the manner previously described.

I claim:

1. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combination with a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed partof the machine, operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said members having lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of the lifts to be deposited in said holder.

2; Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combination with a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the machine, operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said members having lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of the lifts to be deposited in said holder and substantially in the plane occupied by the deposited lift.

3. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combination with a'holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the machine, operatively connected to move in unison, yieldably held against separation, and having lift-engaging heads, and means for automatically adjusting the position of said heads to cause them to be engaged by successive lifts deposited in said holder.

4:. Lift-centering mechanism for heel building .machines comprising, in combina-v tion with a holder and means fordepositing' lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the machine, operatively connected to move in unison, yieldably held against separation, and having lift-engaging heads, and means for automatically adjusting the position of said heads to cause them to be engaged by successive lifts of gradually decreased width deposited in said holder.

5. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines'comprising, in combination with a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the machine, operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said members havin lift-engaging heads located in. the path of movement of the lifts to be deposited and provided with oppositely-inclined lift-engaging faces.

6. Lift-centering mechanism for heel building machines, comprising, in combi-' nation With a holder and means for depositing lifts therein of different size in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the maohlne, operatively connected to move 1n unison and yieldably held against separatlon, sald members having lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of the 11ft to be deposited, and means for automatically separatlng said members a defined distance in advance of the deposit in the holder of the largest lift of a series.

7. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combination With a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of members mounted on a fixed part of the machine, operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said members having heads adapted to be engaged by and to center the deposited lifts, and to be automatically positioned, and held by each deposited lift, in the path of movement of the succeeding lift to be deposited.

8. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuildingmachines comprising, in combination with a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of oppositely-disposed, pivotally-mounted, gear-connected arms cooperating With said holder and yieldably held against separation, said arms having free end-portions projecting into said holder and provided with lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of the lifts to be deposited.

9. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combination with a holder and means for depositing lifts therein in superposed relation, a pair of oppositely-disposed, pivotally-mounted, gear-connected arms cooperating With said holder and yieldably held, against separation, said arms having free end-portions projecting into said holder and provided with lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of the lifts to be deposited and substantially in the plane to be occupied by the deposited lift.

10. Lift-centering mechanism for heelbuilding machines comprising, in combinatlOTtWltll a holder and means for depositing lifts therein inv superposed relation, a pair. of members operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, a spring-controlled third mem berpivotally mounted on the machine and movable in a path at right angles to the path of movement of said pair of members, all of said members being mounted on fixed parts of the machine and cooperating with said holder and having lift-engaging heads located in the path of movement of and adapted to position the lifts to be deposited therein. 7

11. In combination With a holder for receiving lifts, dies of different size movable in turn to a position over said holder, means for ejecting lifts from said dies, a pair of pivoted arms operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said arms having lift-engagingheads adapted to be engaged by and to center the lifts to be deposited, and means for auto matically separating said arms adefined distance in advance of the deposit in the holder of the lift from the largest die.

12.- In combination With a holder for receiving lifts, a rotatable turret carrying dies of different size movable in turn to a position over said holder, means for ejecting lifts from said dies, a pair of pivoted arms operatively connected to move in unison and yieldably held against separation, said arms having lift-engaging heads adapted to be engaged by and to center the deposited lifts, a lever connected to one of said arms, and means carried by the turret for engaging said lever to separate said arms a defined distance as the largest die advances to a position over the holder.

13. In combination With a holder for re ceiving lifts, a pair of lift-centering devices operatively associated With said holder and yieldably held against separation, a rotatable turret carrying a series of dies running in order from a smaller to a larger size, a contact-member carried by the turret in advance of the largest die, and an arm connected to said centering devices, having a free end located in the path of movement of said contact member, and adaptedto be engaged by the latter in the rotation of the turret to separate the centering devices a defined distance as the largest die moves to a position over the holder.

14. In combination with holder and movable dies for depositing lifts therein, a

5 third member having a curved nose located in the path of movement of said dies and adapted to be engaged by each of said dies in turn to move said third centering member out of the path of movement of each die in advance of its arrival over said holder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN E. MITCHELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatentn,

' Washington, I). G. 

